


Scarlet and Gold

by RayreeAnne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: BokuNoHeroAcademia, Creatures, Crossover, Cussing, F/M, Magic, MyHeroAcademia, OchakoUraraka, Scars, bakuraka, bnha - Freeform, harrypotterau, kacchako, katsukibakugo - Freeform, kchk, ko, mha - Freeform, spells, tragicpast, triwizardTournament
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:42:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23718388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayreeAnne/pseuds/RayreeAnne
Summary: Katsuki Bakugo is entering his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The sixteen-year-old Gryffindor has reasons for aiming to be the best damn Auror ever. No extra will distract him, not even a certain brunette with pink cheeks. There's no Quidditch this year because of the Triwizard Tournament. Katsuki knows he'll be chosen as a champion even before entering. (Kōhei Horikoshi owns BNHA/MHA & J.K. Rowling owns HP.)
Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki/Uraraka Ochako
Comments: 68
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was to begin another year of teaching. Nervous and eager first-years gathered in a small, empty chamber off of the entrance hall. Before the start-of-term banquet would commence, the Sorting Ceremony needed to happen.

Eleven-year-old Katsuki Bakugo knew what was to come. Students would be sorted into one of four Houses. Gryffindor, the House of scarlet and gold, valued courage, bravery, nerve, and chivalry. Hard work, patience, justice, and loyalty were valued by the House of canary yellow and black, Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw, the House of blue and bronze, valued intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit. Ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness were valued by the House of green and silver, Slytherin.

His father was a Hufflepuff, but his mother was a Slytherin. Not only did Katsuki look more like his mum, but he knew he would follow in her footsteps of being a Slytherin.

Professor Minerva McGonagall was the Deputy Headmistress, head of Gryffindor House, and the Transfiguration teacher. The tall witch with dark hair pulled into a tight bun wore emerald-green robes and a pointy hat.

“Form a line and follow me,” she instructed.

They walked out of the chamber, went across the flagged stone floor of the hall, and stepped through a pair of double doors.

The Great Hall was magnificent. Thousands upon thousands of candles floated in midair over four long tables, where the older students sat. The tables were set with golden plates and goblets. On the other side of the Hall was another long table, the High Table, where the teachers sat. Professor McGonagall led the first years to the back of the room, stopping them in a line to face the students, their backs to the teachers.

Katsuki ignored the sea of faces by looking up. The black ceiling was dotted with stars, bewitched to look like the sky outside. He looked back at eye level and watched Professor McGonagall place a four-legged stool in front of the first years. She set an extremely old, patched, and dirty wizard’s hat on top of it.

After a few seconds of complete silence, the hat twitched. A rip formed near the brim and the hat sang a song about itself and the school.

When it finished, everybody burst into applause. Katsuki clapped three times and called it good. The hat bowed to the four tables before becoming still.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, a long roll of parchment in hand. “When I call your name, sit on the stool. I’ll put the Sorting Hat on you, and you will be sorted.”

The first girl called up was sorted into Hufflepuff. The table on the right cheered and clapped for her as she stood from the stool.

“Ravenclaw!” the Sorting Hat shouted for another girl. 

The table second from the left clapped this time and greeted the boy when he rushed over to meet his House.

When Gryffindor was called for a boy, the table on the far left burst into applause.

The next one, a boy, was sorted into Slytherin.

Katsuki grinned. His turn would happen soon enough.

“Bakugo, Katsuki,” Professor McGonagall finally called out.

He immediately stepped forward and sat down on the stool. He was more than ready to be sorted into the House of green and silver. Once on his head, it took nearly three seconds for the Sorting Hat to say, “I see your future in…Gryffindor!”

Katsuki stilled, and the applause from Gryffindor fell deaf to his ears. Surely the stupid hat meant to say Slytherin. He was a damn Slytherin through and through!

Professor McGonagall raised the Sorting Hat from Katsuki’s head. “Off you go,” she said.

He slipped off the stool and glanced back at Professor Severus Snape, the head of Slytherin House and Potions teacher. The man had greasy black hair and a hooked nose. Just like the Slytherin table, he refused to clap.

“Go on now, Mister Bakugo,” Professor McGonagall prompted.

It felt like weights were chained to his feet as he walked toward the Gryffindor table. He couldn’t look at anybody from Slytherin.

“Welcome to Gryffindor!” a boy in his third year said.

Katsuki didn’t respond. He planned on keeping to himself the rest of the time before finding Professor McGonagall. The Sorting Hat had been wrong about him!

The time came. “Midoriya, Izuku!” Professor McGonagall called out.

Katsuki glared as the green-haired boy approached the stool. Deku claimed he was going to be the best Quidditch player in the world. As if! Katsuki would have the title!

“Gryffindor!” the Sorting Hat announced.

Katsuki ground his teeth together. Dammit, Deku would be in the same House as him!

* * *

At one point during the feast, Katsuki noticed Professor McGonagall walking down the same aisle he was seated on. He stretched out to get her attention. “I need a do-over with the hat,” he told her when she was close enough.

She stopped and clasped her hands together in front of her. “There are no do-overs, Mister Bakugo.”

“It’s wrong about me.”

“The Sorting Hat is never wrong.”

“But it is this time.”

Professor McGonagall merely placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him past her square-rimmed glasses. “The Sorting Hat said it saw your future in Gryffindor. It isn’t wrong with you.”

And just like that, Katsuki knew he was doomed the next seven years of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

Sunday, the first of September. The Hogwarts Express gently rocked Katsuki awake. Crimson-red eyes fluttered open, immediately noticing he was alone in the compartment. Extras he might consider friends had been here when he was last conscious. The closed glass door to his right helped keep out the noise from other students.

The sixteen-year-old sat up, using his right hand to run through short, spiky ash-blond hair. Choppy bangs fell above his eyes. He was five foot six, had a slim, muscular build, and lightly tanned skin.

He recalled his dream. It had been a memory from his first day at Hogwarts. That felt like a lifetime ago. Now he was about to begin his sixth year at the school.

Katsuki had dressed before boarding the train. He could do without the Gryffindor striped tie, but since he had to wear one, he always sloppily tied it. A white button-up with long sleeves was worn underneath a dark gray sweater with scarlet and gold detailing. Black pants were pressed, and black dress shoes were polished. His wand holster indicated he was a righty, but it wasn’t visible because of his Gryffindor robes.

Well, he supposed he wasn’t really alone. His cat rested in his lap, still asleep. The black mass of fluffy fur and amber eyes was Luna.

The door slowly slid open, and fellow sixth-year Eijiro Kirishima peeked inside. “Brilliant, you’re awake.” He fully opened the door and stepped into the compartment.

He was only six months younger than Katsuki, and had a similar height and build. His dyed red hair spiked upward, and two tufts on either side of his forehead looked like little horns. Red eyes had a brightness to them, and a small scar was just above his right one. Whenever he smiled, his pointed teeth were on display.

Two other Gryffindors followed in after him.

The easygoing Mina Ashido was five foot two. Short and fluffy hair framed her face. It was pink, thanks to a spell that couldn’t be undone. Amber eyes popped against her skin that had a pink undertone.

Hanta Sero was the tallest boy in the compartment. Black hair reached his chin, and bangs fell above his eyebrows. His eyes were dark.

Hanta sat next to Katsuki, while the dating couple shared the other bench.

The fact they all had changed into their school robes since Katsuki last saw them was a clear indicator they were close to Hogwarts.

“Did you have a good nap?” Hanta asked.

“It was better without any of you bloody extras here,” Katsuki grunted.

Mina stuck out her tongue at him. “You dozed off just fine while we were here. Didn’t even twitch when we left.”

The train finally stopped at the Hogsmeade station, and Katsuki got to work on leaving. He set Luna aside, and she mewled in protest but did nothing more. After grabbing the carrier from the luggage rack, he eased her inside and secured the door. His left hand grabbed the handle, keeping his right one available.

Katsuki was one of the first to step off the train that had a scarlet steam engine. The air smelled like it would rain soon. He strode past a group of giggling female students on the platform, ignoring when they stole peeks at him. None of them ever had the nerve to approach him. Like he cared, anyway. He wasn’t at Hogwarts to have fun. He was here to learn and become the best damn Auror anybody had ever seen.

An Auror was part of an elite unit of specialist officers of the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Well-versed in offensive magic, they were trained to investigate crimes related to the Dark Arts. Not many had the stomach to apprehend and detain Dark wizards and witches.

Outside of the station, at least one hundred carriages were drawn by thestrals, creatures that resembled horses. Fleshless, their black coats outlined every bone in their body. Their dragonish heads were composed of white eyes lacking pupils and expression, sunken cheeks, and sharp fangs able to tear flesh from prey. Folded against their sides were wings that could belong to giant bats sprouted from their withers. Overall, they looked sinister and eerie, but they were entirely misunderstood.

Others assumed the carriages were bewitched to move on their own, but Katsuki was one of a handful of students who knew better. He saw the thestrals for the first time at the start of his third year after seeing drawings of them in books. They were only visible to those who had witnessed a death and accepted its reality.

As Katsuki climbed into a carriage, somebody else did from the other door.

Ochako Uraraka was also a Gryffindor. Just over five foot one, she was slender with healthy curves in the right places. The blush on her cheeks stood out against her fair skin tone. Brunette hair was bobbed, but longer strands framed her face. Bangs didn’t quite reach her eyebrows. Her eyes were large, round, and a warm shade of brown.

“Oh, hi, Katsuki!” she greeted warmly.

“Tch.”

“You don’t mind sharing, do you?”

Her guts and roundness were acceptable, so he didn’t care. “Whatever.” He went ahead and sat down with Luna’s carrier on his lap. The door to his left snapped shut on its own.

Ochako scooted over until she sat on the bench in front of him. She had a slightly smaller carrier on her lap for her cat.

Wait, why did she need to sit there? There was plenty of room—

Two others followed after her.

Izuku had yet to catch up to Katsuki in height. He had an average build a tad on the muscular side. Dark green hair was a fluffy mess, and parts stuck up at odd angles. Freckles dotted his cheeks below his green eyes.

Tenya Iida, a Ravenclaw, was relatively tall and had a wide, muscular frame. His dark blue hair parted on the left side of his head. Rectangular glasses were in front of blue eyes. His eyebrows were thin and long, hooked inward on the ends.

Izuku noticed who sat diagonal from him. “Oh, Kacchan!”

Katsuki flexed his jaw. Fuck, he needed out of here.

Unfortunately, the other door shut. The carriage lurched forward, traveling up toward Hogwarts Castle.

“Katsuki, was your train ride enjoyable?” Tenya inquired.

Huffing, Katsuki looked out the window. He didn’t have time for these damn extras.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Forgot to mention, they’ll be using first names to keep with the HP theme. It’ll help me in the long run.


	3. Chapter 3

Not that Katsuki showed it, but he was happy to be back at Hogwarts. The Great Hall was as splendid as ever, and the Sorting Ceremony seemed to go by faster compared to last year. The feast was over, and all eyes turned to the High Table.

Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, stood to speak. The tall, thin man had long, silver hair and an equally long beard. Bright, light blue eyes were behind half-moon spectacles. His long, crooked nose looked as though it had been broken at least twice.

Katsuki paid attention to his words, knowing that more objects were banned because of Mr. Filch, the caretaker. The Forbidden Forest was still forbidden, and Hogsmeade Village was available for students in their third year and above.

“It pains me to inform you all that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year,” Headmaster Dumbledore said.

Katsuki stood and slammed his hands against the table. “What?” he roared.

He had been Gryffindor’s Seeker since his first year, all thanks to Professor McGonagall, and he wasn’t going to let anything stop him from playing. He became captain last year and planned on carrying that position until Gryffindor won the Inter-House Quidditch Cup next year. The sport was one thing in life that gave him joy. In fact, growing up, he had aimed to be not only the world’s best Seeker but the world’s best Quidditch player!

His Gryffindor Quidditch teammates all look equally aghast.

Without saying a word, Headmaster Dumbledore motioned with a hand for him to sit down.

Huffing, Katsuki indignantly sat down. Eijiro patted his back, and he shook him off.

“Hogwarts is hosting an event,” Headmaster Dumbledore continued, “that will begin next month and will continue throughout the school year. It will take up the teachers’ energy and time, but we know you all will thoroughly enjoy it.”

It better be damn good if it meant no Quidditch!

“Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament!”

The sullen mood over Quidditch evaporated. A low buzz filled the Hall.

Headmaster Dumbledore digressed into the history of the tournament. Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang, the three largest European schools of wizardry, would be involved. A champion from each school would rise to compete. Some students shuddered when “death toll” was mentioned, but they were assured the International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports had been involved. No champion would find themselves in mortal danger.

“Next month, the heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive with their short-listed contenders. The selection of the three champions will take place on the last day of October, Halloween. Now you may be wondering who will be the champion for Hogwarts, hm?”

Katsuki grinned. It would be him.

“An impartial judge shall be the one to decide which students are most worthy of competing. The champions will compete for the glory of their school, the Triwizard Cup, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.”

The buzz in the Hall grew louder, and Headmaster Dumbledore settled it down before he said more. “Students in their sixth and seventh years will be able to enter. It was decided by the heads of the three schools and the Ministry of Magic—” He raised a hand to silence students who protested the age restriction. “The requirement was set due to the difficult tasks the champions will face and endure. And I will see to it”—he winked—“that it is held accountable.”

Shortly afterward, he dismissed the students to bed since lessons began in the morning.

Katsuki had a fire in his eyes. No Inter-House Quidditch Cup? Fine. He’d enter the Triwizard Tournament, become Hogwarts’ champion, compete, and win.

Students left the Great Hall. Eijiro and Hanta accompanied Katsuki. Katsuki glared at the back of Izuku’s head as he chatted with Ochako. “Don’t even think about entering, you damn nerd,” Katsuki hissed.

Izuku flinched and slowly looked back over his shoulder. However, there was a spark in his eyes.

“Ahh, it’s the Gryffindor who acts like a Slytherin!” a startled Hufflepuff in her second year squeaked.

“I’ll sic the Bloody Baron on you,” he hissed.

But little did she, or most people for that matter, know, Katsuki bled scarlet and gold.

“Real mature, mate,” Hanta snickered.

“Izuku can enter if he wants to,” Ochako told Katsuki.

“He won’t get picked,” he huffed.

“And why not?” she challenged. 

“Because it’s gonna be me.”

The group headed away from the Great Hall. They walked through a door hidden behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase.

“So full of yourself, aren’t you?” Ochako continued, still looking back at Katsuki as she kept walking.

“It gets the job done.”

“Well, what if I’m—” Her startled scream of surprise sent a jolt through Katsuki’s heart.

One of her feet sank through a step halfway up the marble staircase. Hogwarts had many of these trick stairs, and by now, most of the older students knew which particular steps to avoid. Ochako had been distracted, though.

Before Izuku could lift a finger, Katsuki had grabbed her under the armpits and pulled her out. Meanwhile, the suit of armor at the top of the stairs clanked and creaked in a fit of wheezy laughs.

“Shut the fuck up,” Katsuki growled, banging down its visor as they passed.

Finally, the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. It was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress.

“Password?” she requested as they approached.

“Bread crumbs,” Izuku said.

The portrait swung forward, revealing a hole in the wall. The familiar sight of the Gryffindor common room awaited them on the other side. A crackling fire warmed the circular room, which was full of tables and squashy armchairs.

Ochako turned around to face the boys. “Let’s do our best tomorrow!”

Katsuki was the only one who didn’t bid her good night. Before she disappeared through the doorway to the girls’ dormitory, she turned around. Brown eyes met crimson. “Thanks for helping me on the stairs.”

He merely stuffed his hands into pockets. “Sure.”

She waved goodbye and left.

Eijiro nudged Katsuki with an elbow, waggling his eyebrows.

“What?” Katsuki hissed. 

“Oh, nothing. Just that Hanta wishes he was that smooth.”

“Hey!” Hanta protested.

The four boys climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory at the top of the tower. Five four-poster beds with deep scarlet, velvet curtains stood against the walls, each with its owner’s trunk and belongings at the foot.

Shoto Todoroki managed to beat them here. He was taller than Katsuki, but didn’t have as defined muscles. His long hair split evenly and bangs parted as to not block his vision. The right half was white and the other half was red. Thanks to complete heterochromia iridum, his right eye was dark and his other one was turquoise. A large burn scar surrounded his left eye.

“Will you lot enter the Triwizard Tournament?” he inquired nonchalantly.

Izuku eagerly nodded. “Absolutely!”

“It’ll be pointless since I’ll be the champion,” Katsuki scoffed.

Hanta rubbed his hands together. “All right, let’s place bets.”

“In the morning,” Eijiro said with a yawn, patting his belly. “I’m full and tired.”

Katsuki bent down to go through his trunk for his black pajama set. He’d unpack in the morning. Luna sat at the foot of his bed and meowed.

“I know, I know,” he said.

It was time to get back into the swing of things. He didn’t have the comfort of having a dormitory to himself, like his bedroom at home. Did he get into bed and close the curtains or change somewhere else?

Luna meowed and gracefully jumped down from the bed, landing on Katsuki’s left side. Bed it was. He stripped to one layer and crawled into bed, closing the curtain. It was easy enough to swap clothes in the dark even though he could use a spell to create light.

“Whoa, easy, Luna!” Eijiro exclaimed when she hissed at him as he walked by. “I wasn’t gonna do anything. Just walking.”

The boys in the dormitory knew better than to attempt to open the curtain while Katsuki changed. They’d suffer Luna’s wrath. Hanta got curious one point at the beginning of their third year and received a face full of scratches before he could grab the curtain to throw it open.

Katsuki got out of bed to deposit his uniform elsewhere. “Good girl,” he praised Luna.

“Still don’t know why you do that, mate,” Eijiro said. “You’ve got a better body than me. Nothing you should be ashamed of hiding.”

Hanta cracked up. “Checking him out, are you? I’m telling Mina.”

Eijiro sized up Hanta. “Izuku and Shoto could give you a run for your money.”

“Hey!”

“Don’t bring me into this,” Shoto dismissed.

Back in bed, Katsuki slipped his wand under his pillow. Luna curled up in the crook of his neck and shoulders. He fell asleep to her purrs and the sound of rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: We stan Luna.


	4. Chapter 4

Katsuki climbed through the portrait hole and headed for the Great Hall. His thoughts kept him occupied.

Ordinary Wizarding Levels, known as O.W.L.s for short, were behind him. The passing grades were “Outstanding,” “Exceeds Expectations,” and “Acceptable.” Katsuki had scored “Outstanding” in every subject.

Auror candidates had requirements to meet. First of all, a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, with no score under “Exceeds Expectations” needed to be met. Recommended N.E.W.T. subjects were Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Transfiguration. That left the fifth subject up to the candidate. And after Hogwarts, it would take three years to become an Auror.

This school year, there would be more free time. Katsuki planned on using it for studying and training. His future as an Auror awaited him.

The ceiling of the Great Hall was overcast, just like the sky visible through the high mullioned windows. Even after the rain last night, it had yet to blow away.

Before Katsuki could eat his first bite of breakfast, Ochako sat across from him. “Good morning!” She was bright and cheery.

He merely grunted.

“How excited are you for this school year?”

A smirk curved his lips. “I’m ready to fucking crush it.”

“How did you do on your O.W.L.s?”

“I passed.”

“I passed all of mine as well.” She scratched the back of her head. “I know I could have done better in certain subjects, though.”

“Study next time.”

She dramatically rolled her eyes. “Ah, if only I thought of that sooner.”

He humored her. “What class?”

“Professor Aizawa’s class.”

Defense Against the Dark Arts. It wasn’t a secret that he wanted to be an Auror. She talked to him for a reason.

“Sounds like you could use some tutoring.”

“Know any tutors?” She didn’t make eye contact when she took a bite of eggs.

Would his schedule allow for some tutoring? Defense Against the Dark Arts was his best subject. There also was the thing he needed to ask Professor McGonagall about.

“Maybe...”

The matter wasn’t pressed further.

After they had eaten, they waited for Professor McGonagall to leave the High Table. Before they received their class schedule, she would confirm that they achieved the necessary O.W.L. grades to continue with their chosen N.E.W.T.s.

Professor McGonagall looked over her notes before talking to Ochako first. “I see plenty of ‘Exceeds Expectations’ and some ‘Outstandings.’ I did speak with Professor Aizawa about the ‘Acceptable’ you nearly had...”

Brown eyes briefly glanced at Katsuki before looking back at Professor McGonagall. “I worked with Professor Aizawa to bring me up. I plan on studying more. I’m going to try and find a tutor too.”

“See to it that you do.” Professor McGonagall handed Ochako her schedule and addressed Katsuki. “If memory serves me correct, you had ‘Outstandings’ in all your subjects.”

Ochako’s jaw dropped.

“Yes,” Katsuki confirmed.

“I expect nothing but the best from you, Mister Bakugo.” She handed him his schedule.

He grinned. “Nothing but the best.”

Nodding, she turned to leave.

“Professor, I have a question,” he said.

She paused. “Yes?”

“Even though there’s no Quidditch, is the field still accessible?”

Her eyes glanced over the Captain’s badge on his chest. “You’re still the Gryffindor Captain, are you not?”

“I am.”

“That settles that, don’t you think?” The corners of her lips curved, and she left to see more students.

Katsuki’s heart swelled. He could still go flying.

“You got all ‘Outstandings’ for everything?” Ochako blurted.

“I’m going to be the best.” Crimson eyes glanced over his schedule. Not surprisingly, he was cleared with Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration. Satisfied, he looked at Ochako. “Oi, do you have Aizawa’s class later?”

“Y–yes.”

“Sit by me.”

Hope sparked in her eyes. “Really?”

Without another word, Katsuki left. He took the time to make sure his broomstick was set so that he could utilize a free period for flying. The Firebolt was a world-class broom and was one of his favorite possessions.

He walked back to the castle and caught sight of the Care for Magical Creatures class. Without thinking, his feet carried him over to the wooden corral, and he leaned against it. Fourth-year Gryffindors and Slytherins and Professor Thirteen were inside. Five thestrals stood next to each other.

“Today’s lesson involves thestrals since they were talked about yesterday,” Professor Thirteen said. “Who here can see them?”

Katsuki didn’t bother to raise his hand since this wasn’t his class, but some other students did.

“You’ve gone mad,” a Slytherin boy said. “There’s nothing there.”

“You can only see the creatures here if you have witnessed a death,” Professor Thirteen said.

“My gran passed away over the summer,” a Slytherin who had raised her hand earlier said. “Some of us were in her hospital room when she died.”

“And there you have it,” Professor Thirteen said.

“Oh, yeah? What about a baby seeing someone die?” a Slytherin boy sarcastically asked.

“You can only see them if you’ve witnessed a death _and_ accepted its reality,” Katsuki said.

All eyes turned to look at him.

“Yes, that’s it exactly, Mister Bakugo,” Professor Thirteen said.

When one thestral noticed Katsuki, the others did. They migrated over to him, and he jumped the fence with ease.

“What’s going on?” a Gryffindor girl who could see the thestrals asked.

“The thestrals are moving to say hello to him,” Professor Thirteen said. “Mister Bakugo, you aren’t bleeding, are you?”

They were visiting because they knew him. “No.”

“What sort of question is that?” a Gryffindor boy asked.

“They’re lured by the scent of blood,” Professor Thirteen answered.

A Slytherin boy cringed. “Gross.”

Katsuki stroked one of the thestrals. The smooth, dark skin was a bit slippery, and he could feel the protruding bones underneath.

“Many wizards believe thestrals are omens of misfortune and aggression, given their grim nature,” Professor Thirteen said. “However, they’re far from that.”

“What do they look like?” a Gryffindor girl inquired.

Professor Thirteen painted a picture for those who couldn’t see.

“Where did they come from?” a Gryffindor boy asked.

“The Forbidden Forest.”

Surprise gasps filled the air. “You mean to tell me that spooky creatures I can’t see live on the grounds?” a Slytherin girl questioned.

“They’re properly fed and well trained,” Professor Thirteen assured everybody.

“Have they attacked any students?” a Slytherin boy asked.

“Not unless they’re seriously disturbed,” Katsuki curtly said, nipping that in the bud.

Professor Thirteen nodded. “Thestrals can distinguish a friend from an enemy. They’re loyal creatures and have been known to offer help to humans in need of transportation. Take the carriages, for example. But do take some caution. Thestrals will attack anyone or anything if they see it as a threat. There are some cases where domesticated Thestrals have protected their owners from an enemy.”

“Do they have any special properties?” a Slytherin girl asked.

“The tail hair of thestrals is a powerful yet tricky substance. It can be mastered by a witch or wizard capable of facing death.”

Katsuki flexed his right hand.

“Like how?” a Gryffindor boy asked.

“Take the fabled Elder Wand, for example,” Professor Thirteen said. “The legendary, most powerful wand in existence is rumored to have the tail hair of a thestral as the core.”

“I’ve never heard of a tail hair from one being used for a wand core...” a Gryffindor girl muttered.

“Of course, it’s highly improbable that you would see a wand with that as its core,” Professor Thirteen continued.

Katsuki refused to prove her wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: :D


	5. Chapter 5

Katsuki’s first class of the day would begin soon. His feet carried him to Professor Aizawa’s classroom. He knocked in a specific pattern, so his presence would be known.

The door opened on its own, and he strode into the classroom. It was a familiar, welcoming sight. Any tension he possibly had vanished.

Professor Aizawa was seated at his desk. He was a tall, slender, pale-skinned man. Messy black hair fell to his shoulders, bangs covering a good bit of his face. His incredibly dark eyes seemed rather dull, a deep scar underneath his right one that he got three years ago. Unkempt facial hair matched his demeanor. He wore all black from head to toe. Pants tucked into his boots. A dark gray scarf wound around his neck.

Dark eyes met crimson. “Another year of teaching you.”

Katsuki didn’t miss a beat. “Another year of being your student.”

Professor Aizawa stood and came around the desk. The two used one arm to hug the other briefly.

“Have you gotten settled?” Professor Aizawa asked.

“Yeah, no problems.”

Dark eyes glanced at his Captain’s badge. “How are you coping with no Quidditch?”

He grinned. “I can still use the field for flying.”

Professor Aizawa’s lips twitched like he was going to smile. “Will you enter the tournament?”

“Of course.”

“I had wondered if you would focus on your studies.”

“I can compete and study.”

“You say that as if you’ve already been chosen as a champion.”

A smirk curved Katsuki’s lips. “Give it time.” Ochako flashed in his mind. “Oh, one thing. Have Ochako Uraraka pair with me if we have anything to do with partners. I already told her to sit by me.”

Professor Aizawa raised an eyebrow in the form of a silent question.

“Tch, I know what I’m doing.”

“If you say so.”

When the bell rang, Professor Aizawa used a nonverbal spell to open the door. Students entered and claimed the two-person desks.

Ochako spotted Katsuki and approached him. “I didn’t see you come in.”

Eijiro waltzed up to Katsuki and threw an arm over his shoulder. “Mate, it was like you vanished this morning.”

Katsuki shrugged him off. “I had things to do.”

This class was mixed with different Houses. Professor Aizawa spoke once everybody was seated. “Welcome back. Your N.E.W.T. work will be more advanced compared to last year. So let’s get started.”

On Katsuki’s left side, he heard Ochako gulp, but her expression held determination.

Dark eyes scanned the class. “Who can tell me the advantage of a nonverbal spell?” Professor Aizawa asked.

Katsuki didn’t bother to raise his hand. Izuku was called on.

“There’s no warning, so it gives you a split-second advantage. It’s the element of surprise!”

Professor Aizawa nodded. “Nonverbal spells require concentration and mind power. I don’t expect you all to achieve nonverbal spell-casting right off the bat, but I want to see progress.

“You will pair up. One partner will attempt to jinx the other without speaking. The other, in the same amount of silence, will attempt to repel the jinx.”

Desks and chairs were moved aside to make room. Katsuki and Ochako faced each other. “You attack me first,” he told her.

“Okay,” she said, grabbing her wand.

His right hand reached for his wand holster. It was thirteen inches long, made from blackthorn wood. Ever since he got it the summer before his third year, he always kept it on his person. If he couldn’t, like for sleeping, it was nearby.

No matter what she cast, he’d use a Shield Charm to block. And no matter what, Katsuki didn’t look away from Ochako.

She wasn’t the only one to struggle. Many students whispered the incantation under their breath. Five minutes. Finally, at fifteen minutes, Momo Yaoyorozu from Ravenclaw didn’t use a single word, and her partner, Shoto, repelled the jinx without speaking.

“Well done, you two,” Professor Aizawa in a monotone voice. “As a reminder, everyone, _nonverbal_.”

Excitement spread across Ochako’s face when she didn’t utter a single word for her wand to produce a Jelly Legs Jinx. Her jaw dropped the second Katsuki silently repelled it with ease.

“Atta boy, Katsuki!” Eijiro praised. His distraction led to Mina silently jinxing him.

Mina jumped in place at her success.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, not looking away from Ochako, though. “That’s what you get, Shitty Hair.”

* * *

Katsuki spent his after-lunch free period on his Firebolt. The wind whipped his hair and clothes back. Nobody else was in the stadium to watch him pull off moves as though he was playing in a match. He’d speed forward, dip, make hairpin turns. Everything was like a breath of fresh air.

There came a time he hovered in the middle of the stadium. Crimson eyes looked all around. He had taken steps for Quidditch to have been his future. When a fork emerged in his path, he changed course without blinking. He had the resolve to be the best damn Auror ever known. He would help others. He would save them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Now that all stats about Katsuki’s wand have been revealed, here’s what an official HP site says about the wood type: Blackthorn, which is a very unusual wand wood, has the reputation, in my view well-merited, of being best suited to a warrior. This does not necessarily mean that its owner practices the Dark Arts (although it is undeniable that those who do so will enjoy the blackthorn wand’s prodigious power); one finds blackthorn wands among the Aurors as well as among the denizens of Azkaban. It is a curious feature of the blackthorn bush, which sports wicked thorns, that it produces its sweetest berries after the hardest frosts, and the wands made from this wood appear to need to pass through danger or hardship with their owners to become truly bonded. Given this condition, the blackthorn wand will become as loyal and faithful a servant as one could wish.
> 
> A/N 2: I had fun researching what his wand would be like! I made it be thirteen inches long since that’s my lucky number!


	6. Chapter 6

Thursday, the thirtieth of October. Shortened classes made time fly, and now it was time for Hogwarts to welcome Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Students and teachers were lined outside in front of the castle. It was a clear and cold evening.

Katsuki was glad he grabbed his Gryffindor scarf before coming out here. He loathed being cold. Who knew how long they’d have to wait?

Students talked amongst themselves, wondering how their guests would arrive.

“You simply cannot Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds,” Tenya said.

Mina shoved Eijiro playfully for teasing her, who knocked into Ochako accidentally. She stumbled and bumped into Katsuki, who steadied her. “Oi,” he chastised.

Brown eyes got caught up in his crimson gaze. “Your eyes…” she breathed.

“What about ’em?”

The pink in her cheeks deepened in color. “I haven’t noticed how much your scarf makes them pop before,” she admitted softly.

The scarlet of his scarf made his eyes stand out, and the gold complemented his hair. His parents said Gryffindor’s colors were made for his complexion.

“Yeah, it does that,” he said, accepting her compliment in his own way.

Heads swiveled around when Headmaster Dumbledore called out from where he stood in the back row with the other teachers. “The delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!”

Students looked around in all directions.

Katsuki looked at the sky over the Forbidden Forest. Whatever it was, it grew bigger as it got closer. The gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, was pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses. They were all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

The first few rows of students backed away as the carriage descended. The horses’ large hooves made contact with the ground first, the carriage’s huge wheels next.

The door opened, and a boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage. He faced it, bent down, and unfolded a set of golden steps. A woman—the largest woman Katsuki had ever seen—emerged from the carriage.

Nobody could seem to look away from her. She had olive skin and a beaky nose. Her hair was pulled back in a low bun, and her eyes were impossibly dark. She wore black satin, and opals gleamed at her throat and on her fingers.

As Headmaster Dumbledore and Olympe Maxime exchanged small pleasantries, students emerged from the carriage. About a dozen boys and girls stood behind Madame Maxime. None of them wore cloaks, so they all shivered in their robes of fine silk. Some wrapped shawls and scarves around their heads.

More bloody extras. Great.

“What’s happening with the lake?” Hanta shouted.

The black surface of the water wasn’t smooth. Great bubbles rushed to the surface, waves washed over the muddy banks. A whirlpool appeared in the middle of the lake and a long, black pole rose up.

“It’s a mast!” Mina exclaimed.

A ship emerged from the water. It could pass as a resurrected wreck with his skeletal appearance. Now on the surface, the ship headed toward the bank. An anchor was thrown down into the shallows and a plank was lowered onto the ground.

From his view point, Katsuki could see the people leaving the ship were built in a bulky manner. As they got closer, it was because of the way they dressed. Their cloaks had matted, shaggy fur. However, the man who led the way up to the castle wore furs that were silver and sleek, much like his hair.

Igor Karkaroff was tall and thin. His goatee with a small curl only did so much to hide his weak chin. When he reached Headmaster Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his. He smiled, revealing yellow teeth.

_Cut the crap,_ Katsuki thought as the two talked. Karkaroff’s lips could flap all he wanted, but his mug said otherwise. His smile didn’t reach his cold eyes.

Katsuki looked at the students behind Karkaroff. They were all bundled up in their fur cloaks.

Even more bloody extras. Fucking great.

Hogwarts students were the last ones inside. The Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous banners of silk hung from the walls, each one of them representing a Hogwarts House. The largest banner with the Hogwarts coat of arms was behind the High Table.

Students from Beauxbatons sat at the Ravenclaw table, while Durmstrang students sat with the Slytherins. Powder blue and deep bloodred mingled with Hogwarts’s black robes.

Katsuki watched Mr. Filch add chairs to the High Table. He placed them on either side of Headmaster Dumbledore’s chair. Two of them made sense, but why were five needed?

Once everyone was seated and Headmaster Dumbledore addressed the mass, the feast began. At the end of it, the tournament would officially be opened.

When the last golden plate was cleaned, Headmaster Dumbledore stood. All eyes were on him.

“The time has come,” he said with a smile. “The Triwizard Tournament will begin soon. But first, a few words of explanation before the casket is brought in—”

Caskets he only saw in his dreams flashed through Katsuki’s head. They weren’t made for adults. His stomach churned.

“—Let me introduce more guests. Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Toshinori Yagi, a renowned Auror who know longer works in the field but still offers his expertise.”

Katsuki tuned out the world, eyes on the last man who was introduced. Toshinori Yagi was a skinny man with angular features and long limbs. His hair was blond and low bangs framed his gaunt face. Blue eyes were sunken in.

He had retired from fieldwork three summers ago. His last case took a toll on his body.

Headmaster Dumbledore spoke after people applauded for the newcomers. “These gentlemen have worked tirelessly over the last few months in regards to the Triwizard Tournament. The three of them will join myself, Madame Maxime, and Professor Karkaroff on the panel that will judge the champions’ efforts.”

Students perked up when the word “champions” was mentioned. Everybody was curious to learn more about the tournament.

Headmaster Dumbledore looked at Mr. Filch and nodded. “The casket, if you please.”

He approached the High Table, carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old, having much history to it.

“Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman have already examined the tasks the champions will face this year,” Headmaster Dumbledore said as Mr. Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him. “They have also made the arrangements for each challenge. Three tasks will be spaced throughout the school year. The champions will be tested in many different ways…Their magical prowess—their daring—their powers of deduction—and their ability to cope with danger.

“The champions will be marked on how well they perform each of the tasks and the one with the highest total after the third task will win the Triwizard Cup. As for selecting the three champions, they will be chosen, as I’ve said before, by an impartial selector. I present, the Goblet of Fire!”

Headmaster Dumbledore tapped his wand three times upon the top of the casket, and the lid creaked open slowly. He reached inside it, pulling out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It was filled to the brim with mesmerizing, dancing blue-white flames. Then he closed the casket and placed the goblet on top of it, for everybody in the Hall to see.

“Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must legibly write their name and school upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet,” he said. “It must be done within twenty-four hours. Tomorrow night, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools.”

Katsuki tuned out the bit about some Age Line because it wouldn’t affect him. His name would be drawn for Hogwarts.

Headmaster Dumbledore looked over all of the students. “I will say this…Once the Goblet of Fire has selected a champion, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through until the very end. By entering your name into the goblet, a binding, magical contract is formed. Take a moment to ponder if you are truly ready to accept being champion of your school.”

Katsuki looked at the blue-white flames. He was more than ready to be his school’s champion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Totally looked at Book 4 for this chapter. At a point, I’ll stray away from that. For example, the next chapter~
> 
> A/N 2: Fun Fact: The spark for this fic was Ochako’s comment about Katsuki’s eyes popping because of his scarf. It only expanded from there!


	7. Chapter 7

That night, Katsuki made a stop before bathing. A bag with his pajamas was slung over his left shoulder. The Goblet of Fire had been placed in the center of the entrance hall on the very four-legged stool used at the beginning of the school year. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor. It formed a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

He stepped across the Age Line and stood in front of the goblet. He raised his left hand and read the slip of parchment’s black ink.

**_Katsuki Bakugo — Hogwarts_ **

Without blinking, he dropped it into the blue-white flames. The fire turned red for a brief moment, emitting sparks.

It didn’t matter that nobody saw him. Everybody would hear his name called tomorrow.

With the deed done, Katsuki turned and headed for the fifth floor of Hogwarts. The prefects’ bathroom was only available to the school’s prefects, Head Boy, Head Girl, and Quidditch captains. However, Katsuki had used this bathroom since his third year.

He approached the fourth door to the left of a statue of Boris the Bewildered. The lost-looking wizard wore his gloves on the wrong hands.

“Rubber duck,” Katsuki said.

The door creaked open, and he walked inside, bolting the door behind him as a precaution.

A candle-filled chandelier lit the bathroom where everything was made of white marble. In the middle of the floor was an empty, rectangular swimming pool. Nearly a hundred golden taps stood around its edges, each one with a different colored jewel set into its handle. One of the short sides had a diving board, and a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner. The windows were covered by long, white linen curtains, and there was a single golden-framed painting on the wall. It featured a mermaid fast asleep on a rock. Long blonde hair covered her face, and it fluttered every time she snored.

With each step that Katsuki took, his footsteps echoed off the walls. He grabbed one of the towels before turning on a few of the taps, creating a mixture of calming scents and different colors. Despite its size, it wouldn’t take long for the deep pool to be filled with hot water, foam, and bubbles.

In the meantime, he set down his things by the edge of the pool. Since his tie was long gone, he slipped out of his slippers and took off his socks without looking at his feet. He removed his sweater and button-up next. His torso and arms were riddled with scars, much like the rest of him. Ugly cuts and gashes inflicted by spells had healed with time. An emblem was seared into his skin as if he was some branded animal. On the left side of his chest was a right-handed gauntlet with a closed fist. The unscathed parts of him were his head, neck, and hands.

This was the only place in Hogwarts where he didn’t need to worry about somebody seeing his scars. Others who had access to the room were told it closed during certain hours of the night and morning. All staff, even Mr. Filch, knew Katsuki had special permission to bathe during that time frame, though. It gave him peace of mind.

He shed the rest of his clothes, placing his wand on top of the towel, and slipped into the water. It was deep, but he could touch the bottom. Clouds of different-colored steam wafted from the foamy water.

Eyes closed, a sigh slipped past his lips. It was all right for his guard to be down.

* * *

The following morning, the Great Hall had been decorated for Halloween. Up above, a cloud of bats flew around the enchanted ceiling. Hundreds of carved pumpkins were tucked in every corner.

Katsuki sat at the Gryffindor table. He started alone, but now all the guys from his dormitory were with him.

“Always up before us,” Hanta commented.

“Things to do,” Katsuki grunted.

Eijiro waggled his eyebrows. “Like entering the tournament?”

“I did that last night.”

Shoto blinked. “But you were with us when we left the Hall last night.”

“Mind your business, Half ‘n’ Half.”

“Oh, you must have done it before your bath,” Izuku reasoned. “Or maybe after.”

Katsuki flexed his jaw. What a damn nosy nerd.

Mina and Ochako approached the table. “We just entered the tournament!” Mina said.

Eijiro smiled. “Now all of us here have!”

“I’m nervous and excited about it,” Ochako admitted, a spark of determination in her eyes.

Mina patted her back as they sat down. “No sense in working yourself up now.”

“Yeah, wait until you’re picked,” Hanta joked.

Izuku waved at the two students walking over to the group. “Hey, guys!”

Denki Kaminari, a Hufflepuff, was five foot six and had a slim build. Golden blond hair had a streak of black in the shape of a lightning bolt on the left side of his head. He had a bright shade of golden eyes.

The Slytherin was Kyoka Jiro. Every bit of the petite, fair-skinned girl was punk. Short, dark purple hair was styled in an asymmetrical fringe. Bangs fell above onyx eyes.

These two were part of the six-member Bakusquad.

“Denki!” Eijiro greeted.

Denki smiled. “Eijiro!”

“Squad’s all here,” Kyoka mused, glancing over the table.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for the idiots to be reunited.”

“What idiots?” Eijiro, Mina, Hanta, and Denki asked.

Katsuki merely arched an eyebrow at Kyoka, and she shrugged in the form of a silent response.

“What brings you over here?” Shoto inquired.

Denki grinned. “Checking out the competition. You lot entered, right?”

Ochako nodded enthusiastically. “Of course!”

“I’m sure almost everyone eligible to enter will enter,” Izuku said.

“Won’t matter since”—Eijiro threw an arm over Katsuki’s shoulder—“Katsuki _knows_ he’ll be chosen. Feels it in his bones, he does.”

“You have three seconds before I rip off your limb,” Katsuki warned through gritted teeth.

“Remind me why you aren’t in Slytherin with Kyoka,” Shoto deadpanned as Eijiro removed his arm.

Katsuki didn’t break eye contact with Shoto. Something stirred within his chest.

Izuku looked scared for Shoto suffering Katsuki’s wrath. “Uh, I’m not sure—”

“You’ll never fucking understand,” Katsuki said coolly.

Silence fell over the table until Ochako spoke without thinking. “Did you just admit to being a Gryffindor?”

Crimson eyes flickered over to her. “What of it?”

“Ever since our first year, I’ve never heard you admit that. Well, in a sense.”

“Yeah, what changed?” Hanta asked.

_Me,_ Katsuki thought. Instead of answering, he pushed his finished plate forward and left the table. “Don’t have time for you bloody extras right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Nothing like unlocking more of Katsuki’s past.


	8. Chapter 8

Classes were over for the day. By now, everybody was in the Great Hall, enjoying the feast. The Goblet of Fire had since been moved from the entrance hall. It stood in front of Headmaster Dumbledore’s empty chair at the High Table.

The atmosphere changed when the plates and goblets became clean. Before any student could speak up, Headmaster Dumbledore stood. All eyes were on him.

“I believe the goblet is nearly ready to make its decision,” he said. “Before we start, I will say this…When the champions’ names are called, I ask that they come to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber”—he indicated the door behind the High Table—“where they will receive their first instructions.”

When he used his wand to make a sweeping motion with it, all the candles except for the ones inside pumpkins went out. The blue-white flames of the goblet now shone brightly.

Some students jumped when the flames turned red. Sparks flew, and a tongue of flame shot up into the air. Many gasped when a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it.

Headmaster Dumbledore caught it, holding it at arm’s length. He read by the goblet’s flames that had returned to blue-white.

“The champion for Durmstrang,” he read, in a strong, clear voice, “is Inasa Yoarashi.”

Students and staff clapped for Inasa as he left the Slytherin table. The tanned young man was tall and well built. He had buzzed, dark brown hair and black eyes. He waved at everybody as he approached the High Table.

Katsuki knew he was hyperactive, bursting with energy. He was loud most of the time, but he was surprisingly polite and spoke formally.

“Bravo, Inasa!” Professor Karkaroff boomed.

When Inasa disappeared from the Hall, the clapping died down. Everybody returned their attention to the goblet.

“Any second now…” Izuku whispered.

It turned red, and a second piece of parchment shot out of it. Headmaster Dumbledore caught it, and read the ink. “The champion for Beauxbatons is Camie Utsushimi!”

Nearly all of the boys in the Hall clapped, some even whistled, as she rose from the Ravenclaw table. The young woman had a curvaceous figure and plump, glossy lips. Her straight fawn-brown hair parted down the middle and reached just below her shoulders. Her large eyes were dark brown.

Katsuki had encountered her once since her school arrived. She was laid back and talkative, using slang that confused nearly everybody. Overall, she couldn’t help how bubbly she was.

Instead of watching Camie head for the High Table, crimson eyes remained on the other Beauxbatons students. Disappointed didn’t cover the way they handled not being chosen. Three of the girls sobbed into their hands.

When Camie joined Inasa in the side chamber, silence fell over the Hall. The air was charged with anticipation. When the goblet turned red and spat out the last piece of parchment, everybody held their breath. Katsuki straightened his spine as Headmaster Dumbledore caught it.

“The Hogwarts champion”—his eyes scanned the Gryffindor table—“is Katsuki Bakugo!”

Katsuki stood as the Gryffindor table erupted with applause and shouts, drowning out the uproar from the Slytherin table.

From where he sat, Toshinori Yagi perked up with interest. It didn’t go unnoticed by Katsuki as he strode up to the High Table.

“Go, Katsuki!” Eijiro cheered.

As he passed the staff table, Toshinori made eye contact with him and grinned. Professor Aizawa merely inclined his head at Katsuki. Crimson eyes looked forward as he left the Great Hall. The smaller room had paintings of witches and wizards. Opposite of him was a lit fireplace.

Inasa and Camie stood in front of the fire.

Katsuki stood before them. “Make no mistake about it. I’m gonna take first place.”

The three champions were joined by the six judges. “Congratulations,” Mr. Crouch said. “Represent your schools well during the monumental times ahead of you.”

Mr. Bagman stepped forward to address the three. “No time like the present, yes? The first task is designed to test your daring. However, we won’t reveal what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard.”

Katsuki flexed his hands. The fact he was alive today proved he could face anything.

“The first task will take place on the twenty-third of November. The judges here and other students will watch.” Mr. Bagman looked at Mr. Crouch. “Ah, care to tell them the rest? I didn’t mean to get ahead of myself there.”

Mr. Crouch looked at each champion before speaking. “Champions aren’t permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete any of the three tasks. And speaking of the tasks, the first task will allow you to be armed only with your wands. Once the first task is over, you will receive information about the second task.

“Due to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests.”

Mr. Crouch turned to look at Headmaster Dumbledore. “I believe that’s all.”

Everybody was dismissed, but before Katsuki could leave, Mr. Yagi approached him.

“Young Bakugo,” he breathed.

Katsuki merely stared at him. Did it matter that this wasn’t their first meeting?

“You’ve grown,” Mr. Yagi commented.

“That happens with time,” Katsuki said.

A small smile curved his lips. “I’m glad.”

Katsuki could read between the lines. He played it cool, though. “Tch, I’m older and healthy. Did you expect something else?”

“I hoped nothing but the best for you and your future.”

Katsuki’s chest tightened. For the longest time, he blamed himself for Mr. Yagi’s retirement. It took him ages to accept reality. “Well, you don’t look so bad yourself.”

That got a laugh at out of Mr. Yagi. “I suppose so. I’m still on my toes, though.”

“Good.”

“Ah, I suppose a congratulations from me is in order for your past accomplishment. Just recently, I noticed your name was added to a certain register.”

Katsuki knew exactly what he meant.

An Animagus was a witch or wizard who could, at will, transform into an animal and back again. Unlike the hereditary skill of a Metamorphmagus, it was a learned skill. Professor McGonagall could transform into a cat, and first mentioned Animagi during Katsuki’s third year. Under her guidance, it only took two years for him to become a registered Animagus. She had him swear to keep it a secret from the other students. As if he’d tell any of the extras his skill.

The Ministry of Magic kept tabs on Animagi. A register showed what animal they became, listing their markings as well. Some of the Hogwarts staff, like Professor Aizawa and Headmaster Dumbledore, knew about Katsuki.

“Yeah,” Katsuki grunted.

Just from the look on his face and excitement in his eyes, he knew Mr. Yagi wanted to see. With ease, Katsuki transformed. He got lower to the ground, fur replacing skin and clothes. He now looked like a golden version of Luna with crimson eyes.

Mr. Yagi smiled softly. “A cat won’t attract much attention.”

Katsuki meowed in agreement and changed back. “Better than a lion in that case.”

“Young Bakugo, you’ve come so far already.”

“And I’m not done yet,” he said.

“I suppose it’s time I let you go. I’m sure your House is waiting to congratulate you. I won’t keep you any longer.”

They headed for the door. “I look forward to seeing your skills in the tournament,” Mr. Yagi said earnestly.

“Better hold on to your cloak,” Katsuki said.

The two discovered somebody waited for them in the empty Great Hall. Professor Aizawa stood upright, no longer leaning against the High Table. “Talk about a reunion,” he mused.

Mr. Yagi’s expression softened. “The times are better now.”

“And they’re gonna get better with the Triwizard Tournament,” Katsuki said.

Professor Aizawa looked at Katsuki. “Congratulations on being chosen as a champion. I’m not surprised, though.”

“Nor am I,” Mr. Yagi admitted.

“All of Slytherin was,” Katsuki joked.

“Show them all why you were chosen,” Professor Aizawa said.

Katsuki curled his fingers into fists. “Oh, I bloody will.”

* * *

When the Fat Lady’s portrait swung forward, the blast of noise made Katsuki take a step back. He didn’t have a chance to enter the common room on his own because hands grabbed him, pulling him inside. Gryffindor students all clapped, shouted, and whistled.

“Bloody well done, Katsuki!” Eijiro cheered.

“Did you use a spell to make sure the goblet picked you?” Hanta questioned.

“Tch, I told you all from the start I was gonna get chosen,” Katsuki said.

“If it had to be someone in Gryffindor, it makes sense that it was Kacchan!” Izuku said, handing Katsuki a butterbeer.

Mina found a Gryffindor banner and draped it around Katsuki like a cloak. “Three cheers for Katsuki!”

“Cheer when I’ve fucking won the tournament, you bloody extras!” he shouted over everybody.

Ochako raised her butterbeer. “To Katsuki winning the Triwizard Tournament!”

Okay, he could drink to that. He clinked their bottles together and took a swig.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m pretending Inasa and Camie go to different schools in this au!


	9. Chapter 9

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students had congratulated Katsuki over the weekend. Slytherin refused to accept he was their school’s champion.

By Monday, the excitement from Friday had only died a little bit. At least Professor Aizawa’s class meant nobody would gush about the tournament to Katsuki.

Ochako sat down on his left side, cheery as ever. “I wonder what we’ll learn about today,” she mused. 

“Stuff,” he huffed.

She rolled her eyes. “Thank you so much for the clarification, Mister Hogwarts Champion.”

Before Professor Aizawa stood in front of his desk, ready to start class. 

Momo raised her hand and waited to be called on.

“Yaoyorozu,” Professor Aizawa said.

She lowered her hand. “Pardon the seemingly random question, but a few of us are curious about something. What’s the toughest case you’ve had as an Auror?”

“Dealing with students from Hogwarts,” he deadpanned.

That earned him a couple of chuckles. 

“But seriously, though,” Denki prompted.

Professor Aizawa scratched the scar below his right eye. “The Black Gauntlet Children,” he said in a low voice.

A hushed whisper fell over the students. Katsuki’s heart tightened, and he used his right hand to itch the area of his branded skin.

“You were one of the Aurors assigned to the case?” Yuga Aoyama, a Slytherin, questioned in surprise.

Professor Aizawa nodded.

Since everybody already knew, he didn’t need to explain that Black Gauntlet was a group of corrupt, Dark witches and wizards. Three summers ago, they abducted older children and younger teenagers to have them forcefully join the group. It took three weeks for a group of Aurors to finally track down Black Gauntlet and end their schemes. Some members escaped during the raid, including the leader. But most of the children were saved.

Mashirao Ojiro from Hufflepuff shuddered. “My parents didn’t let me leave home once after the news first broke.”

“One of the kids in my neighborhood had been one of those kids,” Mina said. “The family moved away not long after he was brought home.”

Katsuki flexed his jaw. Not every child was brought home, reunited with their loved ones. Lives had been lost, all thanks to Black Gauntlet.

“Do you keep in contact with any of the kids?” Tenya inquired.

“Some,” Professor Aizawa answered. Truthfully, there was only one.

“Did you meet the Boy Who Led?” Izuku asked.

Katsuki swallowed hard.

Professor Aizawa nodded. “I did.”

Neito Monoma drew attention to him when he sighed heavily. The Slytherin wasn’t much shorter than Katsuki and had a leaner build than him. Slick blond hair got shorter the further it went down his head. He had a left part and bangs hung over his right eye. Slanted, periwinkle eyes had a contemptuous spark in them.

“Does this talk bore you, Monoma?” Professor Aizawa asked in a monotone voice.

Neito waved a hand through the air in a dismissive manner. “I don’t get why the Boy Who Led receives so much attention to this day.”

Before Katsuki could retort, Professor Aizawa spoke, his words dripping in venom. “Imagine being thirteen. You’re out with your parents when you’re abducted in broad daylight. Bad people take you to a strange place, and they destroy your wand beyond repair so you can’t fight back. You aren’t the first child, nor the last. Ages range from seven to fifteen. 

“Creatures you’ve never encountered before drain all happiness and squander any sort of hope. You endure demanding training you can’t refuse, or death awaits you. In the midst of everything, Black Gauntlet finds potential in you, but you refuse to break. You defy them and are brutally reprimanded in ways you never imagined. You stay strong for the sake of the other children. You become their shining beacon of hope. You rise up as their leader, a responsibility you never asked for, but don’t refuse.

“Three weeks feels like three years when a special team of Aurors arrives. You can finally take a breather, but you keep your presence for the other children instead. Every child rescued knows know your name. Every Auror is asked about you by the children and their parents. And soon, everyone knows about the Black Gauntlet Children and the Boy Who Led because of articles.

“And that’s merely the surface of it all.” 

When Professor Aizawa paused for a moment, nobody uttered a word.

Dark eyes glared at a pale-faced Neito. “I dare you to tell me again why you can’t fathom as to why the Boy Who Led received so much attention for his deeds.”

Neito’s lips remained in a firm line.

“Shall I have you write a paper about Black Gauntlet Children and the Boy Who Led?” he challenged.

“N–no, sir,” Neito stammered.

“Don’t question anything or anyone from that event if you didn’t witness the dreadful things that occurred.”

This time, Neito didn’t say a word.

Katsuki cleared his throat, and everybody looked at him.

“Bakugo, do you have something to add?” Professor Aizawa asked.

“Are you gonna teach more history, or are we gonna learn something regarding Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

The corners of Professor Aizawa’s mouth twitched. “Very well.”

* * *

After lunch, Katsuki was in the Quidditch stadium on his Firebolt. Ochako was in one of the Gryffindor stands with her wand. The dark gray clouds didn’t deter them from being outside.

He flew up to her and hovered in the air. Crimson eyes looked at the tip of her wand. “I don’t see flowers, Cheeks.”

Her brow furrowed in concentration. Ochako practiced nonverbal spells under his watch. She let out a puff of air and lowered her wand. “I want to see you do it.”

Katsuki didn’t break eye contact as he reached for his wand. Orchideous _!_ he thought. A bunch of flowers burst from his wand’s tip.

“How do you do that so easily?” she asked.

“Practice.” He plucked the flowers and used a spell to levitate them in the air.

“Do you cast all your spells without saying them?”

He grunted and floated the flowers over to her. She grabbed them and brought in her arm to sniff them.

“Your turn,” he said, putting away his wand.

Determination on her face, Ochako set down the flowers beside her on the bench. She raised her wand and focused on the tip. Some time passed, but sure enough, it sprouted flowers. 

She jumped to her feet. “I did it! I only had to think the spell three times!”

He half-grinned. “Now get it until it only takes one time.”

She beamed at him. “Thank you, Katsuki!”

“Keep practicing. Switch to another spell if you like.”

She nodded. “I’ve got this!”

Thunder boomed, and the two looked up.

“Maybe I’ve got less time, actually,” she said.

* * *

Rain poured down from the sky before the two made it into Hogwarts. Ochako squealed and grabbed his left hand with her right one. Instead of breaking free of her hold, he ran with her. The thought to use a spell to stop them from getting wet crossed his mind, but he didn’t act on it.

Lightning cracked across the sky as they reached shelter from the school. They looked past the doorway, watching the heavy rain.

“Can you imagine if we were still at the stadium?” she mused.

“We’d be drenched.” Katsuki pulled out his wand and used a spell to dry her off first.

“You’ll have to teach me that one.”

He dried himself and put away his wand. “Stick with me, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Finally squeezed in some Kacchako! Not gonna be an immediate relationship since I like building them…


	10. Chapter 10

That Friday, Katsuki was pulled from his Transfiguration class. All the champions were needed for something.

He entered the fairly small classroom and closed the door behind him. Most desks pushed to the back of the room, but three of them had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with the long length of velvet. Six chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Mr. Bagman sat in one of them, talking to a witch wearing magenta robes. Inasa and Camie stood next to each other, making small talk. A paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly, watched Camie out of the corner of his eye.

Mr. Bagman spotted Katsuki and stood to wave at him. “Ah, here he is!”

The witch looked over, and Katsuki swore the world slowed down. The first and only time he saw Rita Skeeter, a reporter for the _Daily Prophet_ , had been after the Aurors arrived. She was first on the scene to cover the story of the rescued Black Gauntlet Children. The atrocious green outfit she had worn back then stuck out, forever burned in his mind. After that day, she failed to land an exclusive interview with the Boy Who Led. His parents kept it from happening since he was only thirteen.

Fuck.

“If we’re here for photos, I’m passing,” Katsuki said, not wanting to be around Rita any more than he had to.

“It’s just the wand weighing ceremony,” Mr. Bagman assured him. “The rest of the judges will be here in just a moment.”

“Wand weighing?” Katsuki questioned.

“You see, we have to check that all wands are functional since they’re to be your most important tool in the tasks ahead. Dumbledore is with the expert upstairs now. Oh, and there’s to be a little photo shoot. Rita Skeeter from the _Daily Prophet_ is doing a small piece on the tournament.”

Rita stepped over to Katsuki and Mr. Bagman. “Maybe not _that_ small, Ludo.”

The years hadn’t changed her much. Her light blonde hair was set in elaborate, rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. Jeweled spectacles were in front of her eyes. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson.

She sized up Katsuki. “And who is this, Ludo?”

“The third champion, Katsuki Bakugo from Hogwarts!”

Her eyes lit up with recognition. Her lips parted, and she sucked in air.

Shit.

“The Boy Who—” she began.

“Yeah, the boy who joined Gryffindor’s Quidditch team his first year,” Katsuki interrupted. He tilted his chin up subtly, daring her to say something else.

She pursed her lips before forcing a smile, displaying three gold teeth. “I’ve heard much about you, _boy_.”

“I’m sixteen,” he sneered.

Her gaze remained on Katsuki as she spoke to Mr. Bagman. “I wonder if I could have a little word with Katsuki before we begin?”

He nodded. “By all means!”

“No,” Katsuki denied.

Rita’s smile faltered. “I won’t take much of your time.”

“I don’t do interviews.” He strode past the two to approach the other two champions.

“Hey, what’s up, fam?” Camie greeted.

Inasa grinned. “Exciting times, huh?”

“Bloody exciting,” Katsuki huffed.

There came the time everybody took their places. The champions sat near the door, looking at the velvet-covered table, where five of the six judges sat. Rita settled herself down in a corner to take notes, and the photographer stood by her.

“May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?” Headmaster Dumbledore said, taking his place at the judges’ table. “He will be the one to check your wands.”

A jolt rushed through Katsuki when he looked to see the old wizard with large, pale eyes. This would be their third meeting. Katsuki had gotten both of his wands from his shop in Diagon Alley.

Garrick Ollivander stepped into the empty space in the middle of the room. “Mademoiselle Utsushimi, could we have you first, please?”

“Bet.” She stood and handed off her wand.

It didn’t take long for her wand to be cleared. Inasa was next, and everything went smoothly for him.

“Ah, Mister Bakugo,” Mr. Ollivander said.

Without a word, Katsuki stood and grabbed his wand, holding it out.

“Ah, yes…” Pale eyes gleamed. “Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember.”

Katsuki could remember too. He could remember it as though it had happened yesterday…

Three summers ago, Katsuki entered Mr. Ollivander’s wand shop for the second time with his parents. They explained somebody broke his other wand and he needed a new one. No questions asked, Mr. Ollivander took Katsuki’s new measurements and got to work. Wand after wand, none of them seemed to work. Nothing compared to his first wand that was made of black walnut and dragon heartstring. There had been a split second where Katsuki wondered if he would ever have another compatible wand. Everything changed when Mr. Ollivander took a chance with a unique wand that he didn’t make.

“The only wand my father crafted with the tail hair of a...” His voice trailed off. “Blackthorn. Thirteen inches. Pristine. You both take care of each other.”

Mr. Ollivander spent the longest time examining Katsuki’s wand. Eventually, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it before handing it back to Katsuki. “Still in perfect condition.”

“What core does he ’ave?” Madame Maxime inquired in a heavy accent.

Mr. Ollivander and Katsuki looked at her. “Pardon?” Mr. Ollivander asked.

“ ’Is wand core,” she prompted.

“Yes, I too am curious,” Professor Karkaroff said.

The two eyed down Katsuki as if his core gave him an unfair advantage over the other champions. 

“It’s the tail hair of a thestral,” Katsuki said without blinking.

Mr. Yagi didn’t look away from Katsuki’s wand. His lips parted, but no words came out.

“That’s unheard of,” Professor Karkaroff scoffed.

“It’s uncommon,” Mr. Ollivander corrected.

Before the topic could continue, Headmaster Dumbledore stood from the judges’ table. “Thank you all for your time. Champions, you are dismiss—”

The man with the black camera cleared his throat.

Mr. Bagman jumped right into it. “Photos! We need photos! Rita, what do you think of getting all the judges and champions together?”

“Yes, let’s do those first,” she said, her eyes locked on Katsuki. “And after that, some individual shots.”

Crimson eyes glared at the despicable woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Insight for the first wand Katsuki owned!
> 
> Wood: Less common than the standard walnut wand, that of black walnut seeks a master of good instincts and powerful insight. Black walnut is a very handsome wood, but not the easiest to master. It has one pronounced quirk, which is that it is abnormally attuned to inner conflict, and loses power dramatically if its possessor practices any form of self-deception. If the witch or wizard is unable or unwilling to be honest with themselves or others, the wand often fails to perform adequately and must be matched with a new owner if it is to regain its former prowess. Paired with a sincere, self-aware owner, however, it becomes one of the most loyal and impressive wands of all, with a particular flair in all kinds of charmwork.
> 
> Core: As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental.


	11. Chapter 11

Four days later, it was a normal Tuesday morning for Katsuki. He stayed behind in his dormitory with Luna to change without the others around. Herbology, Potions, and Charms were ahead of him, but first, breakfast.

There was a spot for him at the Gryffindor table amongst his friends. A few of them had copies of the _Daily Prophet_.

“Something interesting actually going on?” Katsuki huffed, sitting between Eijiro and Ochako.

Talking ceased as all eyes fell on him.

“What?” he asked.

Eijiro cleared his throat. “Have you not read it?”

“Read what?”

“Rita Skeeter wrote about the tournament,” Shoto said.

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I was there for the stupid photos.”

Eijiro placed his copy of the paper in front of Katsuki. “More than just photos, mate.”

The front page had a group photo of the three champions and one large photo of just Katsuki. Crimson eyes skimmed over the words, and he read what concerned him.

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

Hogwarts’ champion for the Triwizard Tournament is Katsuki Bakugo from the scarlet and gold House of Gryffindor. His mysterious, tragic past only fuels his desire to win the tournament. “I’m doing it for them,” he says, eyes glistening. “I’m doing it for all of them.” He offered nothing more as to who he was referring to, but the reverence in his tone spoke volumes.

His chest tightened, but he didn’t stop reading. The story continued on pages two, six, and seven. There were small pictures of the other champions, but more large photos of him. When did the photographer even take that one from that particular angle?

The Weighing of Wands Ceremony was lovely to witness. Take Bakugo, for example. His wand is made from blackthorn wood and contains the tail hair of a thestral. The uncommon core substance is tricky yet powerful! They say it can be mastered by a witch or wizard capable of facing death.

She had interviewed other people about him too. Names were misspelled except for his.

His childhood friend, Izuko Mydoriya says that nobody better could have been chosen to represent Hogwarts.

Mima Assido, another friend, says that Katsuki deserves nothing but the best in his life.

It was confirmed by multiple sources that Katsuki is not dating anyone. Could love warm the heart of Katsuki and heal his invisible scars? If he deserves nothing but the best in life, he most certainly deserves that.

The names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions were, unsurprisingly, misspelled and squashed into the last line of the article.

Hanta’s laughter snapped Katsuki to the present moment. “Pfft, what tragic past has possibly befallen Katsuki?” he scoffed.

“I’ve known Kacchan the longest, and he doesn’t have one,” Izuku said. “I’m not sure why she wrote that bit in, though.”

“To suck in readers, duh,” Mina said.

When Katsuki felt a hand on his left shoulder, he jumped and let go of the paper.

There was worry in Ochako’s eyes. “Are you all right?” she whispered.

Instead of answering her, he growled under his breath. He snatched the paper from the table and stormed away from the Gryffindor table.

“Oi, Katsuki!” Eijiro called.

Nobody dared to cross his path as he approached the High Table. He slammed the paper down in front of Professor Aizawa. “The fucking wench can’t write any more bloody articles,” he spat.

Professor Aizawa peered over the article. “Rita Skeeter?”

He spoke through gritted teeth. “Tragic past. My wand.”

A spark ignited in Professor Aizawa’s dark eyes. He grabbed the paper and scanned it over, flipping through the pages.

“She recognized me when Bagman said my name,” he seethed. “She bloody well knows who the fuck I am.”

Rita had been the first reporter to cover the rescue mission of the Black Gauntlet Children. She had learned his name from others because she couldn’t interview him herself. In order to keep his identity a secret, the public only knew a thirteen-year-old boy as the Boy Who Led.

Professor Aizawa stood, grabbing the _Daily Prophet_. “I’ll speak to Dumbledore about this right now.”

They parted ways, and Katsuki approached the Gryffindor table. Tenya, Momo, Denki, and Kyoka had since joined the others. He picked up on his friends’ conversation.

“He probably didn’t like her bad-mouthing him,” Izuku guessed.

“She pulled things outta her ass, that one,” Eijiro said. “What ‘tragic past’ could he possibly have?”

“Probably some outfit his mum designed and forced him to wear when he was little,” Hanta snickered. “I bet it was a hideous color.”

“Bet it had feathers,” Denki chortled.

Ochako noticed Katsuki first. She leaned back and said his name, causing others to look.

“What?” he huffed, the single word having a bite to it.

As his luck would have it, Neito approached Katsuki from behind with a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ in hand. “Oh, Katsuki!”

Katsuki half-turned to glare at him. “The fuck you want?”

“I was going to ask you to sign my copy.” However, the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Fuck off.”

“Fascinating read, I must admit,” Neito continued as though nothing was wrong. “Does your tragic past include being sorted into Gryffindor? Your Slytherin heart must still be bleeding after all these years.”

Katsuki bled scarlet and gold, though.

When Izuku rose from the table, so did ten others. Ochako stood on Katsuki’s left side, not stepping between him and Neito.

“You should go away before things get ugly,” Mina warned, standing on a bench, so she had Neito in her line of sight.

However, he ignored her. “I know what you truly are, Katsuki Bakugo.”

Katsuki refused to humor him. Instead, he straightened his posture and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Your wand proves you’re better suited as a Dark wizard than an Auror!” Neito sneered.

Katsuki glared at him as ten wands were drawn and aimed at the Slytherin boy. Neito looked at them all, his eyes landing on Kyoka. “You too?”

Her gaze hardened, her outstretched arm unwavering.

“You should take your despicable presence elsewhere,” Tenya said firmly.

“What is the meaning of this?” Professor McGonagall asked as she hurried over to the scene.

Neito turned to face her. “They’re bullying me!”

“Actually, we were asking him to leave,” Katsuki growled.

“Wands away,” Professor McGonagall said. “Now.”

They only listened because they respected her.

Professor McGonagall spoke to Neito. “Does your Head of House need to be involved in this?

He looked at her, avoiding eye contact from the others. “No.”

She nodded curtly. “Off you go.”

He took off without a word, tail between his legs.

Professor McGonagall faced the eleven students, shaking her head. “Ten wands aimed at one individual.”

“He had it coming,” Eijiro huffed.

Others nodded in agreement.

“I want no more trouble from any of you this morning,” Professor McGonagall said.

“So once it’s the afternoon…” Shoto whispered.

Momo, refusing to smile, elbowed him lightly.

“Enjoy your day.” With that, Professor McGonagall walked away, her emerald robes billowing behind her.

In turn, Katsuki faced the mixed group of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and one Hufflepuff. “What a bunch of bloody extras.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry that it’s been a while since I updated! Life has been hectic with this pandemic, and given my line of work, I’m an essential worker. I can’t promise when future updates will happen, but they will happen! Thank you all for the positive comments I’ve received since the last update :D


	12. Chapter 12

The following morning marked ten days until the first trial. Katsuki would be armed with his wand to tackle something designed to test his daring. Courage in the face of the unknown…If he could face Black Gauntlet members without a wand, he could face anybody and anything with one.

Katsuki entered the Great Hall, ready to conquer the day. He sat at the Gryffindor table just as the first of many screeching owls filled the room. They circled tables until they saw their owners, dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Some owl dropped a white envelope onto Katsuki’s empty plate. His brow furrowed at the sight of the unfamiliar handwriting. “The fuck?” he murmured, picking it up.

Two more envelopes replaced the one. Owls continued swooping in by Katsuki, dropping off more letters and small packages.

“Why are you so popular?” Mina gasped.

“Fan mail?” Hanta guessed.

“Because of yesterday’s paper?” Shoto mused aloud.

By now, Katsuki had collected over thirty letters and at least ten packages. Determined to get to the bottom of this, he opened the letter in his hands.

**_Katsuki,_ **

**_I saw in the paper that you’re a champion in the Triwizard Tournament! Oh, I suppose I should have started off by saying it’s Elaine Bliss—_ **

Crimson eyes remained stuck on the name. Elaine Bliss was one of the Black Gauntlet Children, and only a year younger than him. Sucking down air, Katsuki looked at the rest of his mail. Was everything from Black Gauntlet Children? Did they write to him because of the bloody paper.

“You okay, mate?” Eijiro asked.

As if Katsuki could get through a single letter in the presence of everybody. Standing, he removed his Gryffindor robe and laid it out on the bench. He used it to hold all of his mail, throwing it over his back like a sack.

“Kacchan, what are you doing?” Izuku asked as he left the table.

“Leaving.”

As he was leaving the Great Hall, Ochako entered it. “Oh, done with breakfast already?” she asked.

“I’ll be back later,” he said, continuing on his way.

“Is everything all right?”

“I’ve got reading to do.”

Katsuki made it to Gryffindor Tower without being disturbed. He removed his shoes and sat down cross-legged on his bed. Luna curled up on his lap, and he found the letter from Elaine Bliss. He continued reading where he left off.

Most of the senders were the children, but some were from the parents of the fallen children. The packages contained more letters, little gifts, and sweets for him. They all congratulated him on being chosen as a champion. They all were rooting for him to win the tournament. They all were thankful that he still thought of them.

He remembered every single face of the names. He remembered the history, the moments that they shared.

After drying his tears, Katsuki took out his trunk and put away the letters. He’d find a proper container later, much like the one at his home that held older letters and articles. After putting away his trunk, he rejoined Luna on his bed and curled up to her. Her soft fur against his face was comforting, and her purrs were soothing.

A new fire ignited within Katsuki. He would compete for all of Black Gauntlet Children now. His desire to win the Triwizard Tournament had never been stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Long time no see, guys!


	13. Chapter 13

On the Saturday before the first task, all students in their third year and above were permitted to visit Hogsmeade. Katsuki joined other classmates, eager to spend time away from Hogwarts and homework. They headed for the Three Broomsticks pub.

As the ten students approached the establishment, Rita and her photographer friend emerged from it. They ceased speaking in low voices when they spotted Katsuki. Rita lit up with an eager smile, flashing her gold teeth. “Katsuki!” she called out

He resisted the urge to extend a middle finger at her. He refused to make a comment.

The photographer snapped a quick photo of the group as Rita stopped to chat. However, the students walked on by without uttering a single word.

“I look forward to seeing you compete on Tuesday!” Rita said in a cheery voice.

Without letting go of the other’s hand, Eijiro and Mina both turned at the same time to flip her off with their free hands.

Izuku muttered under his breath. “She’s probably staying in the village.”

“Tch, if she doesn’t watch herself, she’ll get banned from here next,” Katsuki growled. 

Headmaster Dumbledore had banned Rita and the photographer from school grounds.

“Let’s forget about her and focus on some downtime, yeah?” Hanta held open the door to the pub.

Even though Katsuki was in front of the group, he stood off to the side to allow others to enter first. He glanced around, keeping an eye out for everybody—shock shot through his system.

Across the way stood Margaret Wells. Her wild brown hair had since been dyed ash-blonde. An unsettling crazy look stirred in her dark eyes. Her cloak and the rest of her clothes were black.

Also known as Murder Margaret, she was one of the Black Gauntlet members who escaped capture. Even though it had been three years since the last time he saw her, Katsuki could spot her face in a crowd.

Margaret raised a finger to her lips and smiled brightly, eyes twinkling. Then she grabbed her hood to cover her head, winked, and ran behind the building.

Instead of entering the Three Broomsticks last right behind Hanta, Katsuki took off, the door closing on its own. He couldn’t risk anybody getting caught up in whatever could happen with Margaret. She was a wild card, completely off her rocker.

As much as he wanted to chase after her, Katsuki ran for Hogwarts as fast as his feet could carry him. He wouldn’t risk falling for a trap. Wait! But how long had she been watching? She could have taken notice in everybody he had been with just now.

_Fuck!_

He wasn’t supposed to use magic outside of Hogwarts, but this had to be an exception. Katsuki grabbed his wand and waved it, mentally focusing on a spell he was taught during his third year because of private classes. A silvery, male lion erupted from it and streaked off, heading for Hogwarts. His corporeal Patronus would find Professor Aizawa and tell him that Margaret Wells was at Hogsmeade.

Without a second thought, he changed course, veering to the left. He avoided colliding with other Hogwarts students, looking over their shoulders to watch his lion leave. Blood pounded in his ears. Adrenaline raced through his system.

He ran between buildings and heard it coming before he emerged from the alleyway. He rolled onto his shoulder as the hot spell sailed over him. He remained low to the ground, upright on his feet, wand aimed at Margaret.

“Katsuki!” Her eyes danced with joy. “Look how much the little lion cub has grown!”

He noticed the unconscious ten-year-old at her feet immediately. His blood ran cold.

“Oh, don’t mind her,” Margaret giggled, stepping over the girl. “I only nabbed her in case you didn’t stop to say hello. But you did. I’m so happy!”

He grimaced silently, gripping his wand tightly.

A smile curved her lips, and before Katsuki could cast a spell— _CRACK_ —she Disapparated.

Crimson eyes glanced all around. He didn’t see any sign of Margaret or any other Black Gauntlet member, for that matter. He rushed over to the girl and checked her neck for a pulse. She had one. Thank fuck. Katsuki picked up the girl and held her against his body, supporting her with his left arm. He turned in a circle, wand at the ready in case he was attacked. He wouldn’t let the girl be taken only to suffer a similar fate, or worse.

Did he hide the girl and search for Margaret in Hogsmeade? Did he look for her family? For now, Katsuki moved and kept his back to a building. He kept an eye out for danger, gripping his wand.

“ _Lion_!” Professor Aizawa bellowed, his voice amplified, thanks to magic. He didn’t use his name as not to draw more attention.

Rather than calling out, Katsuki raised his wand and thought, Vermillious _!_ It shot a shower of red sparks into the air.

Professor Aizawa was the first to the scene, wand already drawn. He spotted Katsuki and the girl but kept looking around. “Where is she?”

“Gone!” he choked out. “She Disapparated and hasn’t been back.”

Professor Aizawa rushed over as McGonagall and Snape joined.

“Katsuki, are either of you injured?” Professor McGonagall asked, already making her way over.

“She’s still alive. Has a pulse.”

Professor Aizawa took the girl to examine her as Professor McGonagall wrapped her arms around Katsuki. She squeezed him hard and let go, scanning him over with her own eyes.

“Were there others?” Professor Snape asked. 

“Just her,” Katsuki answered.

“Tell us what happened.”

Katsuki relayed everything to them. He even recalled the detail about her hair color. “I never saw anybody else but her,” he concluded.

“Minerva, take Katsuki to my classroom,” Professor Aizawa instructed. “Severus, get all students back to Hogwarts.” He glanced down at the girl. “I’ll find her family.”

* * *

Katsuki was inside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with the four others.

Headmaster Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully after being told everything.

“Katsuki, did anyone else see her?” Professor Aizawa inquired.

“If they happened to notice her, they shouldn’t know who she is.”

“Who all was with you?”

He listed all the names of his friends.

“What was she doing in Hogsmeade?” Professor McGonagall asked.

“It’s close to Hogwarts.” Professor Snape’s eyes shifted over to Katsuki. “And Mister Bakugo…”

Katsuki could feel everybody staring at him. He didn’t like it. “I’ll fight ’em. If it’s just her or others. I’ll fight back.”

“Absolutely not,” Professor McGonagall chided.

“If they’re after me, I won’t let them take me again. I’m not the same kid I was.” He wasn’t as weak as before.

“Why wait three years?” Headmaster Dumbledore thought aloud.

Black Gauntlet had no reason to target him again. He wasn’t a child anymore.

Katsuki thought about it more. A mental image of the _Daily Prophet_ flashed in his mind. He groaned. “That bloody paper!”

“What, the _Daily Prophet_?” Professor Aizawa asked, being on the same page as Katsuki.

“My face and name were all over it.” He looked at Professor Aizawa. “The Black Gauntlet Children and their parents aren’t the only ones who know I’m here.”

“What did you say?” Professor Snape asked, clearly out of the loop.

“After the paper was published, they wrote to me,” Katsuki said. “They wrote to me because of the tournament.”

Professor Aizawa’s hands curled into fists. “There isn’t proof, but Black Gauntlet might want their prized boy back.”

“They won’t touch me again,” Katsuki seethed.

“But why alert us of their presence?” Professor McGonagall asked.

“Mind games,” Katsuki and Professor Aizawa said in unison.

Professor Snape looked at the headmaster. “Do we need to call off the tournament?”

“No way,” Katsuki shot down. “Don’t give ’em a win in their book.”

“Katsuki, this concerns your safety,” Professor McGonagall stressed. “Not to mention, possibly, the safety of others.”

His fire wouldn’t be snuffed out. “Do you honestly think they’ll stop whatever they’re planning if the tournament was called off? They could still stick around Hogsmeade. They’d creep closer to Hogwarts. What then? The only thing that needs stopped is them.”

Seconds of silence trickled by, but it felt like hours. Professor Aizawa was the one who spoke up. “I hate to say it, but he has a point.”

Headmaster Dumbledore voiced his thoughts. “As Shota mentioned earlier, we have no proof that Black Gauntlet is after Katsuki. Margaret could have acted on her own accord to see him. Her response was…delayed compared to the mail that Katsuki received. Could she have timed it with the first weekend of Hogsmeade visits? Possibly. Regardless, I’ll inform the Ministry about the matter.”

“Perhaps Mister Bakugo shouldn’t return to Hogsmeade for the time being,” Professor Snape said.

Katsuki made a face. “What?”

“If he wants to visit any more, I’ll go to keep an eye on him,” Professor Aizawa said. “I’ll take him under my wing if I must.”

“See to it that you do, Shota.” With that, Headmaster Dumbledore headed for the door.

“I believe we’re finished here.” Professor Snape nodded at the other teachers before leaving.

As Professor McGonagall walked by Katsuki, she reached out to squeeze his shoulder in a reassuring manner.

The door shut behind her, and two were left in the room.

“Don’t go barreling headfirst into danger,” Professor Aizawa scolded.

“Tch, when have I been known to do that?” Katsuki scoffed.

His right hand twitched as he resisted the urge to facepalm. “You ran after Margaret in the end,” he deadpanned.

“First of all, I ran the first time because I was with others. Second, I ran to her in case there was trouble, which there was.”

“I can account for two times that you used your wand.”

“Yeah, to send a message to you and alert you where I was.”

“The Ministry will know about it because it was outside of school grounds.”

“And Dumbledore will tell them what happened. I might not even get a letter.”

The two huffed at the same time.

“You’re stubborn,” Professor Aizawa said.

“Thanks, it keeps me alive.”

Professor Aizawa stepped forward and hugged Katsuki with both arms tightly. “Stay alive,” he whispered.

“I will,” he promised in a low voice.

* * *

When Katsuki returned to the Gryffindor common room, he was greeted by Ochako’s cat. Mochi was a short-haired calico. She rubbed against Katsuki’s shins.

“Oh, there you are!” Ochako said, seated in a chair with a book.

Others in the room looked over, spotting him. “Mate, where’d you disappear off to earlier?” Eijiro asked from where he cuddled with his girlfriend.

Katsuki stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Didn’t know I had to report in if I was leaving.”

“You disappeared, like Disapparate disappeared,” Izuku noted.

“Didn’t feel like sticking around.”

“You missed out!” Mina screeched. “Tenya was at Three Broomsticks sharing butterbeers with _Camie_!”

“Good for Four Eyes,” Katsuki sniffed.

Luna padded her way down the stairs and pranced over to her owner. He bent his knees to pick her up, cradling her in one arm and petting her with his free hand. She purred up a storm.

“Did Professor Snape find you as well?” Shoto inquired, not looking away from Katsuki.

“Yeah.” It was the truth, even if he wasn’t the only teacher to do so.

Izuku’s brow furrowed. “None of us know why, though.”

Katsuki shrugged.

“Oh, yeah!” Ochako exclaimed without warning. Book in hand, she jumped out of the chair and headed for her dormitory.

“What’s up with Round Face?” Katsuki asked.

“Sometimes, even I don’t know,” Mina chuckled.

“You’re her friend.”

A grin curved her lips. “And you’re her _tutor_.”

“And?”

Mina giggled, a gleam in her eyes. “Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.”

Ochako returned with a little brown paper bag in hand. She held it out for Katsuki. “Since you weren’t at Honeyduke’s Sweet Shop with us, I got you some spicy candy.”

“Thanks,” he grunted, taking it from her.

Still smiling, she lowered her voice. “It’s a little thank you for helping me.”

“Just keep at it.”

“I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Peep that Kacchako...


	14. Chapter 14

Katsuki stuck around the common room. Fellow six years had moved chairs to face each other, taking over the area by the crackling fire. They helped each other with studying and homework.

Ochako sat between Katsuki and Izuku on one couch while Eijiro and Mina cozied up together on another. Hanta took the floor in front of the fire, and Shoto sat alone in a chair.

When Katsuki heard the portrait open, he glanced over. Professor McGonagall entered and looked around, eyes landing on him. “Ah, there you are, Mister Bakugo. Over here, if you please.”

He closed his book and set it down as Luna jumped off his lap. He walked over, noticing what she held in her dropped right hand. He recognized the red envelope of the Howler at once. It wasn’t the first one he received from his mother nor the last. He knew without a doubt that she was the sender.

Professor McGonagall spoke in a low voice. “Dumbledore was given this before he left your parents’ home.”

His brow furrowed together. “He went there?”

“He knew it would be faster than you sending an owl.”

Writing to his parents, Masaru and Mitsuki, had crossed his mind earlier. However, there wasn’t a need for him to do that anymore.

Professor McGonagall handed him the Howler. “Perhaps best to open it without anyone around.”

He grunted in acknowledgment, already knowing it would be pointless. Everybody here would hear it.

“Keep up with the studying,” Professor McGonagall told the students around the fire.

Katsuki stared at the letter as she left.

Eijiro pointed a finger at Hanta. “Pay up! It took him three months to get his first Howler of the school year!”

He sighed. “Dammit. I should have asked to change my bet after he became a champion.”

“You made a bet outta me?” Katsuki snarled, glaring at them.

The two looked at him slowly. “No…”

“Might as well open it to get it over with,” Shoto said in a monotone voice.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Half ‘n’ Half,” Katsuki grumbled.

Izuku set his book down in his lap, readying his hands if he needed to cover his ears.

Crimson eyes looked down at the Howler. He knew it was going to be about what happened with Margaret at Hogsmeade. He also knew his mother wouldn’t say any names, even Black Gauntlet’s name. There was no hesitation on his part when he slit open the letter with a finger.

A split second later, a roar of sound filled the room. People in the portraits covered their ears. His mother’s voice yelled out from the letter, hundreds of times louder than usual.

“KATSUKI BAKUGO! YOUR FATHER AND I HEARD THE NEWS FROM DUMBLEDORE HIMSELF. HOW DARE YOU BARREL HEADFIRST INTO DANGER? ONLY—”

Damn, did she and Professor Aizawa swap notes?

“—A DAMN FOOL WOULD GO AFTER ONE OF THEM ALONE. I DON’T CARE IF DUMBLEDORE SAID HE AND AIZAWA ARE PROUD OF YOU FOR YOUR ACTIONS. I AM—”

Wait, they were proud of him? They hadn’t said that to his face.

“—FURIOUS. ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS. YOU CAN’T BECOME A BLOODY AUROR IF YOU DIE FIRST!”

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope burst into flames and curled into ashes.

“I’m gonna be the best damn Auror, you hag!” Katsuki shouted at the Howler’s remains. “Just you fucking watch!” He let out a huff.

The crackling sound from the fireplace filled the common room.

“What?” Ochako squeaked in a whisper.

Shit, now to deal with the extras who heard everything.

His head jerked up, and he looked at the others by the fire. They all stared at him. In fact, everybody in the common room couldn’t look away from him.

“The old hag worries too much,” Katsuki scoffed, brushing it off. “What of it?”

“Danger?” Izuku questioned. “Kacchan, what danger did she mean?”

“You _do_ know what happened in Hogsmeade,” Shoto reasoned. 

Izuku gasped. “Is that why you left us?”

Fuck. The two feeding off each other wasn’t good.

“She worries,” Katsuki reiterated through clenched teeth, “too much.”

Mina eyed him down. “Should we worry too much too?”

“As if.”

It became a contest for the two since neither looked away. Crimson and amber gazes hardened. Finally, Mina broke eye contact first. “If he says so, then we shouldn’t worry.”

Eijiro raised his hand as if this were a classroom.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “What it is, Shitty Hair?”

“Will you tell us what Dumbledore talked to your parents about?”

“Fuck no.”

“For now or ever?”

Rather than using words, he glared.

“Hey, don’t glare at him,” Mina scolded.

“Tell him not to ask stupid questions,” Katsuki snapped.

Hanta stood slowly. “Why don’t we all calm down?”

Katsuki took out his wand and used a nonverbal Summoning Charm. His book flew past everybody, and he caught it. He turned to leave the Gryffindor Tower.

“Kacchan, where are you going?” Izuku asked.

“Away,” he grumbled. If he wanted to, he could crash Professor Aizawa’s classroom. Nobody would disturb him there.

Now outside of the hole, Katsuki stopped to look behind him when he heard a noise.

There was Ochako with her belongings. She moved out of the way so that the Fat Lady could conceal the entry.

“The fuck are you doing, Cheeks?” he asked.

“Following you,” she said matter-of-factly. “I still need help with tutoring.”

“Tch.”

When he walked away, she stuck to his left side. Thoughts swirled around in his mind. At this rate, they couldn’t go to Professor Aizawa’s classroom since she was with him. He didn’t feel like being bugged with any questions.

An idea struck him. “Do you have your wand?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“Good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Guesses on where they’re going? O.o


	15. Chapter 15

Katsuki led the way to the seventh floor. There was a particular room in the castle he discovered in October of his third year. After talking about it to Professor Aizawa, he learned it was called the Room of Requirement.

They weren’t bothered by anybody as they made their way up to the seventh floor. The duo reached a stretch of blank wall opposite of an enormous tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy’s foolish attempt to train trolls for the ballet.

“We’re gonna walk past this bit of wall here three times,” Katsuki told her. “Keep your mind empty.”

They did so, turning sharply at the window just beyond the blank stretch of wall, then at the man-size vase on its other side.

_I need my room,_ he thought. _I need my training room for us._

“Katsuki,” Ochako gasped as they wheeled around after their third walk past.

A polished door that wasn’t there before was there now. Katsuki grabbed the brass handle, pulled open the door, and jerked his head.

Without a word, Ochako entered the spacious room. It was lit with flickering torches, much like those in the dungeons eight floors below. Wooden bookcases lined the walls, and large silk cushions were on the floor. At the far end of the room was a set of shelves that carried a range of Dark Arts instruments.

Katsuki closed the door behind them and turned the key protruding from the lock.

“What is this place?” Ochako whispered in awe, turning about to take in everything.

“The Room of Requirement can be anything someone in need needs it to be,” he replied. “Sometimes it’s here, and sometimes not, but when it appears, it’s always equipped for the seeker’s needs.”

“And right now...?”

“Training.”

She whirled around to look at him. “You train here?”

“And study.”

“Why?”

“I’m gonna be an Auror someday. I need to be on top of things.”

“How many people know about this room?” she asked.

“Very few.”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

He knew he wouldn’t have to tell her not to say anything. Not that he’d admit it aloud, but she had grown on him ever since he started helping her. “Good.”

“What first?” she asked eagerly.

Grinning, Katsuki set down his book on the nearby table. “Put your book there too, and follow me.”

As she passed him, he started to roll back his sleeves. A jolt raced through him when he caught sight of his scars. Shit, he wasn’t alone! He rolled them back down immediately. “This’ll be different compared to being in the stadium,” he said, speaking evenly.

“Why’s that?”

“You’re training with me.”

“Like what we do in the classroom?”

He turned to face her. “Exactly. Regarding Aizawa’s class, is there anything you wanna focus on.”

“More nonverbal spells. I want to be able to cast them like you do all the time.”

“I’ve been practicing ’em since our third year.”

“What, think I can’t keep up?” she challenged.

He didn’t look away from her as he took out his wand. “Don’t expect perfection from the start.”

She took a stance, ready to use her wand. 

“I’ll block whatever you throw at me.”

“ _Orchideous_! Ah, wait!” But it was too late. A bunch of flowers burst from her wand’s tip.

Completely caught off guard by her frazzled state at using the wrong spell, Katsuki laughed wholeheartedly. His stomach and cheeks began to hurt.

Ochako looked at him with wonder. “I haven’t heard you laugh like that before,” she whispered.

His laughter was contagious, and she found herself laughing along with him—what a silly mistake on her part.

There came a time their laughter died down.

“I’ll hafta use that some time,” he joked, wiping away small tears.

“It was the first spell that popped in my head. I don’t even know why I said it out loud.”

“It’s a sign that you need to practice more.”

She rolled her eyes playfully. “Brilliant.”

* * *

Katsuki wrapped things up after an hour of practicing and teaching. They grabbed their books before leaving the room.

“I had fun,” Ochako told him.

“Pretty sure I kicked your ass back there,” he snorted.

She puffed out her cheeks and bumped into his left shoulder with her right one.

Returning the favor, he used a tad more force compared to her.

There was a gleam in her eyes now. “Did you just...?”

“Did I what?” he asked nonchalantly.

She bumped him, and he bumped her right back. When she attempted to try it a third time, he stopped walking abruptly, and she stumbled over her feet.

A snicker slipped past his mouth.

“Hey!” she exclaimed.

“Don’t be predictable, then.”

“Don’t take the fun away,” she retorted.

A smirk curved his lips. “I’m still amused.”

She marched right up to him, tilting her chin up since he was taller than her. “Katsuki.”

“Ochako.”

She blinked in surprise. “Eh?”

“What?”

“You always call me Round Face or Cheeks. You’ve never said my name before.”

“Tch, don’t act like I don’t know it.”

“Do you?” she challenged.

“Ochako Uraraka.”

Her gaze softened. “Katsuki Bakugo.”

He rolled his eyes. “I hope we know each other’s names by now, Cheeks.”

“We’ve been together for six years.” Her face flushed suddenly. “Uh, I mean, we’ve been going to the same school _together_ now for six years.”

He merely nodded, allowing her to do all the talking.

Her voice grew softer. “And we’re only three months into the year.”

Crimson eyes scanned her face. There was a look in her brown eyes that he didn’t recognize. Why did it feel like a Snitch was zooming around his stomach?

“And you…” But her voice trailed off.

He arched an eyebrow in the form of a silent question.

“And we—” She shrieked in surprise when a water balloon fell on her head. It splashed her and Katsuki. 

He didn’t hesitate to grab his wand before looking up. He cast a Shield Charm, protecting them from an onslaught of more balloons. Crimson eyes glared through the translucent barrier. “Peeves!”

Floating in the air was a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie. He had dark eyes filled with mischievousness and a wide mouth.

“Ah, the Slytherin-should-be-boy!” the poltergeist exclaimed.

“He’s a Gryffindor!” Ochako shouted, getting defensive about the matter.

“I’ll tell the Bloody Barron what you’ve done!” Katsuki threatened.

Peeves blew raspberries at them before going off to cause trouble elsewhere since he was out of water balloons.

Before putting away his wand, Katsuki dried them off.

“I seem to get wet when I’m around you,” she joked.

He refrained from making a comment about her word choice, but she realized her words all on her own. Her eyes grew wide as her entire face turned red. “I’m leaving!” she announced awkwardly.

Before Katsuki had a chance to open his mouth, she took off running. She didn’t look back at him.

“Fuck you, Peeves,” he growled under his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Silly Peeves


End file.
